Strong Rebuke for the Kremlin from Cheney...

Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis/Associated Press

Vice President Dick Cheney joined other world leaders, including, in the front, Presidents Lech Kaczynski of Poland, left, and Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania, at a conference on democracy in the former Soviet republics.
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Seems like the Russians are pretty pissed off with what Cheney had to say. Here is part of what the New York Times is reporting this morning:

MOSCOW, May 4 — Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday delivered the Bush administration's strongest rebuke of Russia to date. He said the Russian government "unfairly and improperly restricted" people's rights and suggested that it sought to undermine its neighbors and to use the country's vast resources of oil and gas as "tools of intimidation or blackmail."

"In many areas of civil society — from religion and the news media, to advocacy groups and political parties — the government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of her people," Mr. Cheney said in a speech to European leaders in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. "Other actions by the Russian government have been counterproductive, and could begin to affect relations with other countries."

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Cheney talking about a "government that has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of her people." That's interesting! He was talking about Russia...not the Bush Administration. Maybe he is just angry with Putin because the Russians are not supportive of our plans for Iran. Do you have any theories about what's going on? Post your comments.